Billy Crudup has recently opened up about his past relationship with Mary-Louise Parker, with whom he shares a 21-year-old son, William Atticus Parker. The couple, who were together from 1996 until 2003, experienced a highly publicized breakup when Crudup left Parker, who was pregnant at the time, for Claire Danes. This decision, made during such a sensitive time, was controversial and has largely remained unspoken by both parties until now.
In a recent interview with the Times, Crudup expressed his deep affection for their son, William. He commented, “Without commenting on any of our… Our adoration for our son is boundless. He has, through the mash-up of the two of us, been endowed with superpowers for theatricality.” Crudup proudly noted that William has pursued a career in film, directing and writing several micro-budget movies. “He’s such a badass,” Crudup remarked, adding that both he and Parker have appeared in many of their son’s films.
While Crudup’s relationship with Danes eventually ended, he has since found happiness with Naomi Watts, whom he married in 2023. Despite the previous media attention surrounding their split, Parker has expressed well wishes for her former partner. In a statement to the Guardian, she said, “I wish them well. And absolutely, I honestly of course wish them every happiness because that’s my son’s father. So I’m happy for them. I’m happy they found each other.”
Crudup briefly addressed his decision to leave Parker in a 2004 interview with the New York Times. He emphasized the personal and painful nature of the situation, stating, “First and foremost it is personal, painful and involves an infant and does not deserve to be exploited to sate the appetites of circulation counters and bored readers.” The actor continued, “I have never indulged our society’s misguided notion that my personal life is relevant to my work, so any reporting surrounding that is necessarily hearsay, speculation or fantasy. Each published report is based only on the trade of suffering.”
Parker, who is currently not in a public relationship, has had other notable partners, including Jeffrey Dean Morgan, but has largely kept her personal life private.